Rick Santorum has won more counties than all the other GOP candidates combined

Rick Santorum has a much broader geographical support than his opponent Romney. Unfortunately for him, counties are not delegates. (David Goldman/AP Photo)

If counties were delegates, Rick Santorum would be the runaway leader in the Republican presidential contest.

While the former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has amassed more delegates than his three remaining rivals combined, the former Pennsylvania senator has carried more counties than the rest of the GOP primary field combined.

Election results, examined by Dr. Eric Ostermeier, research associate at University of Minnesota and author of the blog Smart Politics, show that Santorum altogether has won 360 counties in the 11 first primaries and caucuses. That is 215 more than Romney, who has only won 145 counties. In addition to them, five other candidates have carried counties. Former speaker Newt Gingrich has won 79 — almost all of them in South Carolina and Florida, Texas Rep. Ron Paul has carried 31 and Texas Gov. Rick Perry won two before he dropped out.

Still, Romney has so far gotten over 740.000 votes more than Santorum, largely on the basis of his strength in suburbs and urban areas.

“This suggests that people in the rural, more sparsely populated areas are not buying what Romney is selling at this point,” Ostermeier says. “It is a snapshot of his failure of being a uniting candidate for the Republicans.”

In the Michigan primary, won narrowly by Romney, Santorum won 53 counties while Romney only carried 30. Ostermeier expects to see the same pattern continue on the upcoming Super Tuesday, March 6.

“I will have to speculate that the reason behind this is Romney’s inability to connect based on his background,” says Ostermeier. “Compared, Santorum is more natural, rolling up his sleeves and talking about coming from hardworking folks in Pennsylvania.”

Steven E. Schier, professor of political science at Carleton College, also points out that small counties are socially conservative places. That’s a good match for Santorum, who knows how to “stoke his base” of the GOP, he adds.

“An important part of that base is socially conservative Republicans in small towns and rural counties,” says Schier. “Santorum has also campaigned in a number of small towns — notably visiting 99 Iowa counties during that caucus campaign.”

Neither Ostermeier nor Schier believes the counties supporting Santorum will be a disadvantage for Romney if he wins the nomination.

“It remains to be seen if these people will compose around Romney if he wins the nomination,” says Ostermeier. “But I am not saying that these counties will be Obama counties. It is more that this shows why he is not wrapping up this nomination earlier.”

“Santorum voters are ‘yellow dog’ Republicans, a variation on the old Texas term of ‘yellow dog’ Democrats,” Schier explains. “That means Santorum’s voters will cast a ballot for a ‘yellow dog,’ if such a creature is the GOP nominee (over any Democrat).”

If Santorum is to stage a comeback, he needs to start making up ground in metropolitan areas, where Romney so far has gained most of his support. Ostermeier does not see it as an impossible task, especially given that Santorum according to Politico story, raised $ 9 million in February.

“It is at least easier for Santorum to make greater inroads in urban areas, than it is for Romney to make inroad in rural areas,” Osterreich explains.